Bakers' guilds from Lower Saxony-Central unite forces for the future!

Bakers' guilds from Lower Saxony-Central unite forces for the future!

Hameln-Pyrmont/Schaumburg/Nienburg/Diepholz.In a remarkable step, the bakers' guilds from four districts in Lower Saxony have joined forces! The guilds from Hameln-Pyrmont, Schaumburg, Nienburg and Diepholz come together under the new umbrella of the “Bakers’ Guild of Lower Saxony-Mitte”. With around 35 members, Christian Deicke from Marklohe was unanimously elected as Obermeister. A sign of strength in an industry that is changing!

This merger is not just a merger, but a response to the challenges that are currently shaping the bakery industry. Fewer and fewer companies are fighting for survival, while the remaining ones are getting bigger and bigger. The boards of the previous guilds have recognized that they have to join forces in order to survive in this new reality. The district craft associations of the four districts merged in 2019, and now the bakers are following suit!

Advantages of the merger: Mutual support and reduced administrative burden

“In order to be stronger, we have to join forces,” explains Deicke. The focus is on training the trainees, because there has not been a vocational school class for the bakery trade in Nienburg for years. The new structures enable the guilds to support each other and reduce administrative burdens. “We have to connect better in order to properly look after the trainees,” continued Deicke.

The challenges are enormous: training numbers are falling across the country and many bakers are close to retirement. “Such representation of interests is urgently needed,” emphasizes Jens Leßmann, general manager of the district craftsmen’s association. The bureaucracy that burdens small businesses is disproportionate to the demands placed on large companies. A rethink is required to secure the future of the bakery trade!